Cylinder flaker for the wood particle board industry



Sept. 28, 1965 P. A. KIRSTEN CYLINDER FLAKER FOR THE WOOD PARTICLE BOARD INDUSTRY Original Filed Sept. 8, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jnvenfor: W 4%,, M,%W

Sept. 28, 1965 P. A. KIRSTEN CYLINDER FLAKER FOR THE WOOD PARTICLE BOARD INDUSTRY Original Filed Sept. 8, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Q QN Jn venfor: flaw/4M @9 2 Sept. 1965 P. A. KIRSTEN 3,208,488

CYLINDER FLAKER FOR THE WOOD PARTICLE BOARD INDUSTRY Original Filed Sept. 8, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Cutting Zane Sept. 28, 1965 P. A. KIRSTEN 3,208,488

CYLINDER FLAKER FOR THE WOOD PARTICLE BOARD INDUSTRY 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Sept. 8, 1959 &

mcu @53 .711 venfor: 96 4 i M M w United States Patent 3,208,488 CYLINDER FLAKER FOR THE WOOD PARTICLE BOARD INDUSTRY Paul Arthur Kirsten, 26 Bonner Talweg, Bonn, Germany Original application Sept. 8, 1959, Ser. No. 838,672, now Patent No. 3,162,222, dated Dec. 22, 1964. Divided and this application Sept. 22, 1961, Ser. No. 139,958

3 Claims. (Cl. 144-172) This invention is directed to the production of high grade flakes from wood, and more particularly to the production of such flakes by an economically operating cylinder-type flaker.

The present application is a division of my copending application Serial No. 838,672, filed September 8, 1959, now Patent No. 3,162,222.

In general, disc-type flaking machines have been able to produce good wood flakes with smooth surfaces for good bonding action on the part of the resin, having less internal cleavage, of equal thickness, and having component fibers parallel to the surfaces, thus contributing greater strength to the board with significant savings in resin content. These desirable flake attributes have been realized with disc-type flakers because the flakes are carried away from the edge of the cutting knife through the disc, and further because the extension of the knife cutting edge beyond the periphery of the cutter is not altered by screw tightening forces and centrifugal forces as the knives travel in a plane. However, such disc-flakers require the wood to be cross-cut to a special maximum length in order to fit into the feed mechanism. The disctype flaker requires too much labor and necessitates the installation of a cross-cut saw. The disc-type flakers, as well as cylinder-type flakers of the type previously known, also'have the disadvantage that when the Wood is initially presented to the cutting edge, it is not clamped tightly enough to prevent movement of the wood as the cutting action commences or to prevent vibration as the cutting action continues.

Cylinder-type flakers previously known have not been able to produce flakes with the desirable attributes described above. The flakes produced are pressed into a groove in front of the knife; many of the flakes are damaged or destroyed as they are thrown out prematurely from the groove by centrifugal forces and strike the edge of the knife. The protrusion or extension of the knifes cutting edge beyond the periphery of the rotor body in previously known cylinder-type flakers is influenced by unequal screw-tightening forces, by knife thickness tolerances, and by tolerances of the other components such as the wedge-shaped pressure bars for tightening or securing the knives. Moreover, whenever the wood material being cut is flexible, it is easily pulled into the groove in front of the knife by a component of the cutting force with the result that flakes of excessive thickness and many splinters are produced.

It is an object of the present invention to eliminate the described deficiencies and undesirable characteristics of prior art devices.

The novel cylinder-type flaker of the present invention includes a cutter head which is displaced with respect to a cutting zone at the end of a charging channel along which the wood is directed for engagement with the knives of the cutter head in the cutting zone. A form of cutter head which is particularly useful in conjunction with the cylinder flaker of the present invention is disclosed in the aforesaid parent application, Serial No. 838,672.

In a preferred embodiment as disclosed and claimed herein, the invention may comprise two separate charging channels, each of which terminates in a cutting zone disposed radially of the axis of the cutter head. When the ice cutter head has completed the flaking operation in one of the two zones, the second zone is open and wood 15 directed into the second zone from the adjacent chargmg channel. The cutter head is then reciprocated along an operating axis which is perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and the cutting knives gradually flake or cut the wood positioned in the second cutting zone. As the cutter head reaches its extreme position along the operating axis, the first cutting zone is open to receive wood from its respective charging channel. Thus the next reciprocation of the cutter head along the operating axis is effective to flake the wood placed in the first cutting zone and again open the second zone for recharging.

During the entire flakingoperation, both with initial engagement of the cutting knives and the wood as the cutter head is reciprocated into one or the other cutting zone, and during the subsequent total flakingof the wood positioned in such zone, the wood so positioned is firmly clamped and restrained against vibration so that it is presented to the cutting edges of the knives in a fixed position and maintained in that position during the flaking operation. Thus good flakes are obtained and less waste, such as dust, etc. is encountered, and the edges of the knives are also preserved.

The cutter head slices across the end of the clamped wood or pile of wood material such as logs, slabs, edgings, veneer waste, veneer cores, etc., without cross-cut; the material can be any length. The actual cutting is effected by the reciprocation of the cutter head with respect to the wood in the cutting zones; therefore the output of the novel apparatus is high. It is emphasized, however, that the principles of the invention can be utilized with only a single charging channel and a single cutting zone adjacent the cutter head. It is also noted that although in the illustrated embodiment the cutter head is described as being reciprocated with respect to the fixed cutting zones and charging channels, it is also possible to maintain the cutter head rotating about a stationary axis and reciprocate the charging channels to effect the flaking operation.

While the cutter head is reciprocated back and forth along its operating axis between the cutting zones at the extremities of the two charging channels in the illustrated embodiment, the direction of rotation of the cutter head remains constant; accordingly the cutting forces of the knives are directed downwardly in one cutting zone (at the end of charging channel 7 in the illustrated embodiment), and the cutting forces are in the upward direction in the other cutting zone (end of channel 6). In accordance with a feature of the invention, the wood being cut is so clamped in each of the cutting zones that the clamping forces are in the proper directions to augment the cutting forces, whether the cutting forces are in the upward or downward direction, thereby firmly securing the Wood during the flaking operation. The resultant holding or clamping force obviates vibration of the wood during the flaking operation.

Each charging channel includes both afixed guide plate or reference wall member and a movable or floating" positions with respect to the cutter head asthe head is reciprocatedin the flaking operation; In the illustrated embodiment, the charging channels are fixedin position and the cutter head isdisplaced to effect the flakingop eration; accordingly the wood-supporting tableand the clamping lever are simultaneously displaced, to main- A clamping leve'r urges the wood,"

tain the same positions relative to the cutter head. In the right cutting zone (at the end of channel 7), the woodsupporting table is positioned below and the clamp ng lever or device above the wood, so that the clamping forces are added to the cutting forces as the knives flake off the wood. Conversely, in the left cutting zone (end of charging channel 6), the wood-supporting table is positioned above and the clamping lever below the wood, so that the clamping forces are added to the cutting forces provided by the cutting knives.

To obviate damage to the flakes as they are produced, the cutter head of applicants invention is provided with a slit in front of each knife cutting edge, which slit is the entrance aperture for a flake-collecting space. The flakes pass the slit and enter the flake-collecting space because of the reaction to the cutting forces at the knife edges, and the flakes are subsequently ejected from the collecting spaces by centrifugal forces developed as the cutter head rotates.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularly in the appended claims. The invention itself, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in the several figures of which like reference numerals identify like elements, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front view, partly in section, taken along the line 11 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 2 is a plan sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view, partly in section, taken along the line 33 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 4 is a side view on an enlarged scale taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2 looking in a direction opposite the showing of FIGURE 3.

Before considering the structure and operation of the invention, attention is directed to FIGURE 2 to orient the reader with respect to a point of departure for the description. As will be explained more fully hereinafter, the wood to be flaked is passed by movement of spiked rollers 8A, 8B, 9A and 9B along the charging channels 6 and 7 in the direction shown by the arrows until the wood is positioned in one of the cutting zones at the ends of the channels adjacent the cutter head. As shown in FIGURE 2, cutter head 1 is in its left end position in which it occupies the left cutting zone at the end of channel 6, leaving the right cutting zone at the end of charging channel 7 open to receive wood therefrom. Accordingly, holding plates 44 are displaced from the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 toward the opposite side of the right cutting zone to engage and support the wood entering from channel 7, the force of the wood returning the holding plates to their recessed position as the rollers drive the wood against end plate 30.

Abutment bar 16 is then displaced transversely of the wood to force the wood against the side wall or plate 28 of channel 7 and position the wood properly for cutting. A clamping lever 14 (FIGURE 1) is then actuated to press downwardly on the wood in the cutting zone and force the wood against wood-supporting table 12 (FIG- URE 2). Cutter head 1 is then reciprocated to the right along its operating axis to flake the wood which is in the right cutting zone, while the wood-supporting table and the clamping lever are displaced in accordance with the movement of the cutter head to avoid engagement with the cutting knives. The levers 14 of the clamping device slide by above the wood, under pressure, and the supporting table 12 slides by under the wood, whereas the abutment bar 16 remains stationary during the flaking operation.

As the cutter head is displaced from its left and to its right end position to occupy the right cutting zone, the left cutting zone at the end of charging channel 6 is opened and an analogous process now occurs. Wood-supporting table 11 (FIGURE 1), clamping lever 13 (FIGURE 2), and the other elements illustrated to the left of the cutter head in FIGURE 2, have been displaced into alignment with charging channel 6 to receive and secure the wood during the next flaking operation.

It is evident that only one charging channel can be utilized if desired, and that the conveyor system of the channels can be extended to any length to feed the wood toward the cutting zones. Further, instead of maintaining the charging channels stationary, the channel equipment and the abutment bars 15 and 16 can be reciprocated while the other elements including cutter head 1, wood-supporting tables 11 and 12, and two-armed clamping levers 13 and 14 are maintained in fixed positions. All that is required is relative displacement of the cutter head with respect to the wood in the cutting zones, while the positions of the wood-supporting tables and the clamping levers are maintained constant with respect to the cutter head to avoid engagement with the cutting edges of the knives.

Structural description of cutter head and charging channel arrangement In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 1 the cutter head 1 is shown in its left end position, wherein it occupies the left cutting zone and the right cutting zone is open to receive wood delivered along channel 7. Wood flakes produced in the left cutting zone enter the flake-collecting spaces 50, and are ejected therefrom into exit duct 31, whence they are delivered by any suitable means to a collecting station. Similarly, wood flakes produced in the right cutting zone are ejected into the exit duct 32, and are likewise delivered to a collecting station. The power for cutter head rotation is obtained from motor 3 over a flexible drive means 3A in an obvious manner.

Slide 2 is mounted for reciprocation back and forth along the bed or frame 4. The slide su ports the cutter head and motor assembly, and also (at the right cutting zone) carries a wood-supporting table 12 and a two-armed clamping lever 14; accordingly table 12 and lever 14 are displaced with the cutter head. The two-armed clamping lever 14 is connected for displacement by a pneumatic actuator 14A to effect engagement of the lever arms against the upper portion of the wood positioned in the right cutting zone over wood-supporting table 12.

An abutment bar 16 is connected to an associated slide member 20, in turn connected to a pneumatic actuator 20A for displacement along guide member 18. Guide member 18 is afiixed to a wall of channel 7, adjacent the right cutting zone. The abutment bar includes a pair of spaced-apart slots (FIGURE 2) as does slide 20, for receiving the two arms of lever 14.

A pair of holding plates 44 are positioned within recesses of end plate 30 at the rear of the cutting zone. As shown in FIGURE 3, the holding plates can be driven outwardly by a pneumatic actuator 45 to engage the wood as it enters the cutting zone from charging channel 7, to prevent tilting or slanted presentation of wood remainders to the cutting knives. The holding plates 44 are returned to their recessed positions by the wood, and actuator 45 can be utilized to insure that plates 44 are withdrawn beyond the face of end plate 30 as the cutting action commences, to avoid engagement with the cutting knives. Guide plate 22 (FIGURE 1), positioned above the right cutting zone, has a pair of linear passages (not shown) positioned in alignment with the slots in abutment bar 16 for permitting the downward passage of the two arms of clamping lever 14 as they engage the wood in the right cutting zone.

In a related but inverted fashion (as shown to the left of cutter head 1), wood-supporting table 11 at the end of charging channel 6 is positioned above the two-armed clamping lever 13 which clamps the wood as it is displaced into the left cutting zone (the cutter head having first been.

displaced from its illustrated position to its right end position, thereby opening the left cutting zone). The utilization of wood-supporting table 11, two-armed clamping lever 13 and its associated pneumatic actuator 13A, abutment bar 15, guide member 17 (FIGURE 2), slide 19 (FIGURE 1), and guide plate 21 are all similar to the related components already described in connection with the right cutting zone.

In FIGURE 2 the right and left cutting zones are also shown; end plate 29 is positioned to define the back wall of the left cutting zone when displaced into longitudinal alignment with channel 6. At the'other end of this channel a roller 23 is mounted on support arms and biased in a well known manner to displace the wood entering the charging channel toward the opposite wall 27, in which a roller 25 having a fixed axis of rotation is positioned. A pair of spiked rollers 9A and 9B are indicated at the bottom of the channel (the section is taken at the center of the flaker, as shown in FIGURE 1); upper rollers 8A and 8B are depicted in FIGURES 3 and 4. The charging channel defines a path for routing or. directing the wood material to be flaked longitudinally from the entrance of the charging channel toward the cutting zone, for eventual flaking as the cutter head is reciprocated.

The two arms. of clamping lever 13 are illustrated in FIGURE 2. The arms are initially disposed below the lowest part of charging channel 6, so that as the cutter head and other elements of the mechanism are displaced" from the left end position as shown in FIGURE 2 to the right end position, the clamping device 13 can be actuated upwardly to clamp the wood in the left cutting zone against wood-supporting table 11 (FIGURE 1).

The mechanism of the right charging channel 7 is similar to that of channel 6.

In FIGURE 3 the utilization of flexible drive means 3A between the shaft of motor 3 and the driving shaft of cutter head 1 is illustrated. Other means for providing driving power for the cutter head and applying that power to the cutter head shaft will no doubt be suggested to those skilled in the art. This view also illustrates the provision of dove tail extensions on slide 2 which are received in the guide-ways of the bed or frame member 4, for displacement of the motor, cutter head, wood-supporting tables, clamping means and associated elements along an operating axis with actuation of the pneumatic operating means 5.

Also shown in FIGURE 3 is a flexible drive means 70 which transfers rotational power for rotating the spiked rollers 8A, 813, 9A and 9B to pass the wood along the charging channel toward the cutting zone. That is, flexible belt 70 is passed over a drive wheel 71, over a clamping pulley 72, over driven wheel 73 which is disposed to drive spiked roller 9A, over reduced-diameter portions of spiked rollers 8A and 8B, and over driven wheel 74 which is positioned contiguous to roller 9B for effecting rotation thereof. Clamping pulley 72 is supported by levers 75 (only one of which is shown); the opposite ends of levers 75 are journalled on shaft 76.

When drive wheel 71 is driven by suitable means (not shown) in the clockwise direction, the flexible belt 70 is also driven in the clockwise direction as shown by the arrows. Each of driven wheels 73 and 74, and spiked rollers 8A and 8B, are also rotated in the clockwise direction. Spiked rollers 9A and 9B, being coupled respectively to driven wheels 73 and 74, are thus rotated in the opposite sense or in the counter-clockwise direction. Accordingly, the rotation of rollers 8A-9B, which engage the wood as it is passed along the charging channel, is in the proper direction to transfer the wood from the entrance of the charging channel to the cutting zone.

Also shown at the right side of FIGURE 3 is pivoted roller 23, supported by arms 23A and 23B journalled on a shaft 230. The shaft extends through supports 23D affixed to frame member 4. Thus the roller 23 is pivoted for displacement under the urging of a bias spring (not 6 shown) or other means to maintain the wood entering the charging channel in proper alignment as explained above.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, because this view is taken in a direction opposite that of FIGURE 3, the various elements and their directions of movement in FIGURE 4 are reversed with respect to the illustration of FIGURE 3. FIGURE 4 depicts the floating guide wall or floating bottom of charging channel 6, which is biased upwardly from the bottom of the channel toward a fixed guide plate 6A which defines the top of the channel, thus to accommodate wood of varying thickness as it is directed through the channel toward the left cutting zone. Specifically, the floating guide wall comprises a climbing plate 33, a portion of the periphery of spiked roller 93, a middle plate 35, a portion of the periphery of spiked roller 9A, and pressure plate 36 disposed between roller 9A and the cutting zone at the end of channel 6.

Climbing plate 33 provides a ramp-like entrance for the wood to effect its upward displacement from the bottom of the charging channel as the wood is urged against fixed guide plate 6A. The climbing plate 33 is pivoted about a shaft or pivot point 39, and a lever 37 is connected to the climbing plate at such pivot point. The other end of lever 37 engages a reduced-diameter portion of spiked roller 9B. Accordingly the angle of inclination of climbing plate 33 is regulated by engagement of the end of lever 37 with roller 9B, transverse displacement of the roller as it engages the wood effecting a simultaneous change in the angle of inclination. This construction permits the pivoting of plate 33 in a counterclockwise direction to open the charging channel for maintenance operations.

Spiked roller 93 is journalled about a first reference axis or shaft 40, which in turn is aflixed to a support plate 40A positioned above bias spring 34A. Spring 34A urges support plate 40A and spiked roller 9B upwardy to engage the lower portion of the wood in the charging channel.

The displacement of middle or center plate 35 is a function of the transverse displacement of both spiked roller 9B and spiked roller 9A. That is, middle plate 35 is aflixed at its lowermost portion to one arm of a twoarmed lever 38 which lever is journalled about the first reference axis (shaft 40). The other arm of lever 38 extends toward and contacts a reduced diameter portion of spiked roller 9A, itself journalled about a second reference axis (shaft Shaft 80 is carried on support plate 80A, which is biased upwardly by the force of spring 34B. Thus, as rollers 9A and 9B are displaced transversely of the channel, the extremity of the longer arm of lever 38 is a function of the position of roller 9A, and as roller 9B is displaced, the pivot axis of two-armed lever 38 is similarly displaced. Accordingly, middle plate 35 is always displaced so that its uppermost portion is generally parallel to a line drawn tangent to the uppermost portions of spiked rollers 9B and 9A.

Also pivoted about shaft 80 is a lever 36A, the opposite end of which is connected to the lower extremity of pressure plate 36. Thus, the pressure plate is pivoted about the second reference axis and remains close to the circumference of roller 9A. The lower extremity of pressure plate 36 is also biased upwardly by spring 41, which can be replaced by a pneumatic actuator if desired. To maintain the right edge of pressure plate 36 in proper alignment with the cutting zone as shown in FIGURE 4; pressure plate 36 is also aflixed to guide rod 42, pivoted at connection 42A to a second guide-rod 43, which in turn is pivotally connected at 43A to the supporting frame.

Although not described, the elements of channel 7 are similar to those of channel 6 illustrated and described inconnection with FIGURES 3 and 4. The principal difference is that the vertical positions of spiked rollers 8A, 8B, 9A and 9B are inverted, so that the floating guide wall of charging channel 7 is at its top, and fixed guide plate 7A is at the bottom of the channel (FIGURE 1).

This is in accordance with the inventive teaching, whereby the clamping force at the cutting zone is added to the cutting forces as the knife edges are rotated through the wood.

Operating description of cutter head and charging channel arrangement Considering now the operation of the invention, as illustrated in FIGURES 1-4, and referring particularly to FIGURE 2, cutter head 1 is shown in its left end position wherein it occupies the left cutting zone. Consequently, the right cutting zone over wood-supporting table 12 at the end of charging channel 7 is open. Wood is positioned at the entrance of charging channel 7, displaced against the side wall 28 by the action of roller 24, and passed by the rotation of the four spiked rollers 8A9B toward and into the right cutting zone. Holding plates 44 are initially positioned to extend into the zone (FIGURE 4 shows such plates extending into the left cutting zone), are displaced toward end plate 30 as the wood enters the cutting zone, and eventually are seated flush with or recessed slightly behind the end plate as shown in FIGURE 2. Accordingly, wood is positioned against end plate 30 in the right cutting zone.

Abutment bar 16 and slide 20 are now moved by actuation of pneumatic operator 20A so that abutment bar 16 pushes the wood toward side wall 28, into the proper position for engagement by the cutting knives as the cutter head is rotated. Thus, the longitudinal displacement of the wood is referenced by end plate 30, and its transverse positioned is regulated by the displacement of actuator 20A and abutment bar 16. In the vertical direction, the wood is positioned over wood-supporting table 12 and is clamped thereat by the downward movement of doublearmed clamping member 14 responsive to movement of pneumatic actuator 14A (FIGURE 1).

In the foregoing manner, the wood is placed in the charging channel, displaced along the channel into the right cutting zone, and clamped securely in the three dimensions to await the flaking action as the cutter head is reciprocated along its operating axis.

Referring to FIGURE 3, cutter head 1 and its motor 3 are now displaced along the dove tail guide ways in the bed or frame 4 by the operation of pneumatic actuator 5, so that cutter head 1 is moved to the right, as shown in FIGURE 2, to enter the right cutting zone and flake away the wood presented thereat. Supporting table 12 and double-armed clamping member 14 are carried on slide 2, and thus they are similarly displaced to avoid contact with the cutting knives. That is, the positions of the wood-supporting table and the double-armed clamping member are maintained unchanged relative to the cutter head as slide 2 is moved along bed 4. In other words the levers 14 of the clamping device slide by above the wood, under pressure, and the supporting table 12 slides by under the wood, whereas the abutment bar 16 remains stationary during the flaking operation.

After the cutter head is reciprocated from the illustrated position to its right end position to occupy the right cutting zone at the end of charging channel 7, the left cutting zone is open to receive wood passed along charging channel 6 in exactly the same manner as was described with respect to charging channel 7. A limit switch can be provided in a well known manner to reverse the direction of travel of cutter head 1 along its operating axis before the cutting knives can engage the abutment bar.

The complete charging and flaking cycle with respect to the left cutting zone now takes place. That is, the wood is passed along from the entrance of charging channel 6, is displaced by movable roller 23 against side wall 27, and passed over the spiked rollers to enter the left cutting zone. The wood forces holding plates 44 from an extended position into a position flush with or slightly recessed behind end plate 29. It is noted that end plate 29, together with the other actuating elements shown in the upper left portion of FIGURE 2, has been displaced to the right as the cutter head has been displaced from its left end to its right end position. Accordingly the longitudinal travel of the wood entering the left cutting zone is stopped by end plate 29, and pneumatic actuator 19A is operated to displace slide 19 and abutment bar 15 against the wood to move it toward side wall 27 and clamp the wood in the transverse direction.

Because of the sectional presentation, the wood-supporting table 11 at the uppermost portion of the left cutting zone is not evident in FIGURE 2. However, this table provides a reference surface for the wood, and the double-armed clamping lever 13 is displaced upwardly to move the bottom of the wood up against this reference supporting table prior to reciprocation of the cutter head.

Having properly positioned the wood in the left cutting zone, the cutter head is now reciprocated along the operating axis from its right end to its left end position to gradually shave off or flake the wood particles from the wood thus presented, after which the cutter head again occupies the position shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. During this reciprocation the wood-supporting table 11 and double-armed clamping lever 13 are also displaced in relation to the cutter head displacement. Thus one complete cycle of the inventive system is accomplished.

It is again noted that the various components of the inventive system can be interchanged. That is, instead of maintaining the charging channels with the guide members (17 and 18) for the abutment bars stationary, they can be reciprocated with respect to the cutter head, woodsupporting tables, clamping levers and the other components which are described as movable in the illustrated embodiment. One or two charging channels can be provided, and wood of any length can be utilized in the charging channel by adding or removing extra conveyors at the end of those channels.

Although only particular embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is apparent that modifications and alterations may be made therein, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and alterations as may fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A cylinder-type flaker comprising in combination: a cutter head including a plurality of cutting knives disposed about the periphery thereof; a charging channel including a guide plate fixed in a reference plane and means for displacing wood along said guide plate toward a cutting zone adjacent the cutter head at the end of the channel; a wood-supporting table disposed in said reference plane to receive the wood as it enters the cutting zone from the charging channel; clamping means for securing the wood against movement in the cutting zone during a flaking operation; an end plate positioned at the side of the cutting zone opposite the charging channel, at least one holding plate mounted in a recess of the end plate and positioned for movement from said recess to an extended position at the opposite side of the cutting zone for engaging the wood as it is passed into the cutting zone; means for effecting relative displacement between the cutter head and the wood in the cutting zone to effect a progressive flaking of the wood, said clamping means and said wood-supporting table being maintained in the same positions relative to the cutter head during the flaking operation; and means for displacing the holding plate to said extended position to prevent the wood remainders from tilting prior to engagement by the cutting knives, movement of the wood being effective to return the holding plate to its recessed position before the cutter head is displaced into the cutting zone.

2. A cylinder-type flaker comprising in combination: a cutter head including a plurality of cutting knives disposed about the periphery thereof; a charging channel including a fixed guide plate having a surface position in a reference plane; a floating guide wall positioned opposite said fixed guide plate and including a first and a second spiked roller, biasing means for urging said rollers transversely of the charging channel to displace wood positioned therein against the fixed guide plate at the opposite side of the channel, a climbing plate positioned at the entrance side of the channel and inclined at an angle with respect to the fixed guide wall, the angle of inclination being varied as a function of the transverse displacement of the first spiked roller, a middle plate positioned between the first and second spiked rollers, the transverse position of the middle plate being varied as a function of the transverse displacement of each of the first and second spiked rollers, and a pressure plate positioned between the second spiked roller and the cutting zone, the transverse displacement of the pressure plate being varied as a function of the transverse displacement of the second spiked roller in the charging channel, and means including said spiked rollers for displacing wood between said fixed guide plate and said floating guide wall toward a cutting zone adjacent the cutter head at the end of the channel; a wood supporting table including a surface disposed in said reference plane to receive the wood as it enters the cutting zone from the charging channel; clamping means for securing the wood against movement in the cutting zone during a flaking operation; and means for effecting relative displacement between the cutter head and the wood in the cutting zone to elfect a progressive flaking of the Wood, said clamping means and said wood-supporting table being maintained in the same positions relative to the cutter head during the flaking operation.

3. A cylinder-type flaker comprising in combination: a cutter head including a plurality of cutting knives disposed about the periphery thereof; a charging channel including a fixed guide plate having a surface position in a reference plane; a floating guide wall positioned opposite said fixed guide plate including a first spiked roller journalled about a first reference axis, a first biasing means positioned to urge said first roller transversely of the channel to force Wood therein against the fixed guide plate, a climbing plate journalled about a pivot point and inclined at an angle with respect to said fixed guide wall, a first lever journalled about said pivot point and engaging a portion of said first spiked roller, said first lever being connected to said climbing plate adjacent the pivot point whereby transverse displacement of said spiked roller in the charging channel effects a related change in the angle of inclination of the climbing plate, a second spiked roller journalled about a second reference axis, a second biasing means positioned to displace said second spiked roller transversely of the charging channel, a

two-armed lever including a hub portion journalled about said first reference axis, a middle plate positioned intermediate said first and second rollers and aflixed to one arm of the two-armed lever, the other arm of the twoarmed lever engaging a portion of said second spiked roller whereby the position of said middle plate is a function of the transverse displacement of both said first and second rollers, a third lever journalled about said second reference axis, a pressure plate aflixed to said third lever whereby the position of said pressure plate is varied in accordance with the transverse displacement of said second spiked roller, said first and second spiked rollers being continually in engagement with the contiguous portions of the wood in the charging channel and said climbing, middle, and pressure plates being disposed adjacent the wood for directing the same toward the cutting Zone at the end of the channel, and means including said spiked rollers for displacing wood between said fixed guide plate and said floating guide wall toward a cutting zone adjacent the cutter head at the end of the channel; a wood supporting table including a surface disposed in said reference plane to receive the wood as it enters the cutting zone from the charging channel; clamping means for securing the wood against movement in the cutting zone during the flaking operation; and means for effecting relative displacement between the cutter head and the wood in the cutting zone to effect a progressive flaking of the wood, said clamping means and said wood-supporting table being maintained in the same positions relative to the cutter head during the flaking operation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 719,695 2/03 Roberts 241-282 1,243,734 10/17 Haber 144172 2,825,373 3/58 Forman 144-172 2,847,045 8/58 Brown 144162 2,945,521 7/60 Erickson 144-162 2,969,095 1/61 Brookhyser et al. 144172 X FOREIGN PATENTS 864,509 1/53 Germany.

WILLIAM W. DYER, JR., Primary Examiner.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Examiner. 

1. A CYLINDER-TYPE FLAKER COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: A CUTTER HEAD INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF CUTTING KNIVES DISPOSED ABOUT THE PERIPHERY THEREOF; A CHARGING CHANNEL INCLUDING A GUIDE PLATE FIXED IN A REFERENCE PLANE AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING WOOD ALONG SAID GUIDE PLATE TOWARD A CUTTTING ZONE ADJACENT THE CUTTER HEAD AT THE END OF THE CHANNEL; A WOOD-SUPPORTING TABLE DISPOSED IN SAID REFERENCE PLANE TO RECEIVE THE WOOD AS IT ENTERS THE CUTTING ZONE FROM THE CHARGING CHANNEL; CLAMPING MEANS FOR SECURING THE WOOD AGAINST MOVEMENT IN THE CUTTING ZONE DURING A FLAKING OPERATION; AN END PLATE POSITIONED AT THE SIDE OF THE CUTTING ZONE OPPOSITE THE CHARGING CHANNEL, AT LEAST ONE HOLDING PLATE MOUNTED IN A RECESS OF THE END PLATE AND POSITIONED FOR MOVEMENT FROM SAID RECESS TO AN EXTENDED POSITION AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CUTTING ZONE FOR ENGAGING THE WOOD AS IT IS PASSED INTO THE CUTTING ZONE; MEANS FOR EFFECTING RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT BETWEEN THE CUTTER HEAD AND THE WOOD IN THE CUTTING ZONE TO EFFECT A PROGRESSIVE FLAKING OF THE WOOD, SAID CLAMPING MEANS AND SAID WOOD-SUPPORTING TABLE BEING MAINTAINED IN THE SAME POSITIONS RELATIVE TO THE CUTTER HEAD DURING THE FLAKING OPERATION; AND MEANS FOR DISPLACING THE HOLDING PLATE TO SAID EXTENDED POSITION TO PREVENT THE WOOD REMAINDERS FROM TILTING PRIOR TO ENGAGEMENT BY THE CUTTING KNIVES, MOVEMENT OF THE WOOD BEING EFFECTIVE TO RETURN THE HOLDING PLATE TO ITS RECESSED POSITION BEFORE THE CUTTER HEAD IS DISPLACED INTO THE CUTTING ZONE. 